Monday, 17 January 2011

Blaine Reed Meteorites List 99 -Tucson Show Info.

Dear Collectors,
Happy New Year!
Here is the e-mail version of my new list that is in the mail (many of you will likely have received this today). Please try to reach me as soon as possible if you would like anything listed here. I have very little of most of this material and I will be off to Tucson before long. Sorry about the tight time frame (see "gone" dates below), I just got swamped with other things and couldn't get this out earlier.

Show info: I will be gone from home from about January 26th until about February 17th (a couple days longer than usual. Just as last year, I need to deliver stuff to and visit with my uncle in Phoenix. This time it is to deliver stuff from my mom's estate). I will be at my usual show location: Ramada Limited, room 134. This is at St Marys and the interstate (next to Denny's) - just 1/4 mile or so due West of Inn Suites (Now called Hotel Tucson City Center - where many of the other meteorite dealers are). My room is about mid-way down the length of the motel (right next to the walk through actually) on the west side of the building (on the parking lot side - and there is often parking available right in front of my room). I should be open the afternoon of January 29th through the afternoon of February 12th. There is always the chance I may leave a couple days early if things get really slow. I have not done this the past few years (but things sure got slow enough last year for me to seriously consider it), but notify me if you plan to see me those last couple days so I will be extra sure to stick around. I will be open every day in between - generally from 10AM until - ? (usually at least 7pm if I am going out to eat and often until 10pm or so other nights).

TOLUCA, Mexico: Coarse Octahedrite (IAB). Found before 1776. Tkw = quite a lot.
I have not had any of this in years. I used to get some from a mineral dealer from Mexico at the Denver Show a long time ago. Then, they started offering what, to me, seemed to be obvious Campos as Toluca (thankfully, they indeed had them properly labeled as Campos the last time I saw them offering meteorites). I picked these up from a collection of irons supposedly purchased 40 years or so ago. These are really nice! They are solid pieces and actually have nice interesting shapes (particularly the 3 largest pieces, both unusual features for typical Toluca specimens.
1) Wire-brushed complete individuals:
a) 782.1 grams - 95mm x 45mm x 35mm - $350.00
b) 1223.5 grams - 90mm x 60mm x 45mm - $500.00
c) 3581 grams - 130mm x 90mm x 70mm - $1350.00 – shows several large troilite nodules.
d) 4531 grams - 130mm x 130mm x 55mm - $2000.00

BUCK MOUNTAIN, Arizona: (H3.9). Found September 2005 , Tkw = 900grams.
This is something that Robert Ward found. I purchased a small hand full of fragments from him last year and finally got around to cutting them. Normally, I probably would not bother cutting such small pieces, but being a type 3, I thought it would be good to show the chondrules (these were just brown, ratty fragments as I received them). This does show a good number of chondrules on careful inspection. However, they really do tend to blend into the matrix (they are pretty much the same medium brown color as the matrix) so they do not jump out at you. Very little of this is available (I only got 60 grams). I believe that this is only Arizona's second or third type 3 chondrite! Note: I will have to send buyers of pieces of this the usual info card later. I did not get the info I needed before Robert headed out east (visiting friends or family, not sure) and the coordinates and such are back at his home. I WILL make up and send cars out when he is able to get me the info though.
1) Cut fragments:
a) .67 grams - 10mm x 9mm x 3mm - $8.00
b) .97 grams - 12mm x 10mm x 3mm - $12.00
c) 1.8 grams - 14mm x 12mm x 5mm - $20.00
d) 4.0 grams - 20mm x 18mm x 5mm - $40.00
e) 5.9 grams - 28mm x 22mm x 5mm - $59.00

TENHAM, Australia: (L6), veined. Fell spring 1879. Tkw = over 160 kilograms.
I have had a number of (fairly large) whole pieces of this for years (now I have only the possibly oriented one listed below). I had a few people ask for smaller or sliced pieces (a couple researchers wanted cut pieces as Tenham is one of only a couple known meteorites that is shocked enough to have veins of ringwoodite and majorite – the high pressure phases of olivine and pyroxene) so I cut up a couple stones to supply this need. I don't have much of this left, and I don't expect to be able to get any more either, so don't wait long if you have been wanting to add this name to your collection.
1) Slices;
a) 6.1 grams - 23mm x 22mm x 4mm - $40.00
b) 10.3 grams - 40mm x 22mm x 4mm - $65.00
c) 20.7 grams - 45mm x 42mm x 4mm - $130.00 – nice complete slice.
2) End pieces: back sides completely crusted.
a) 40.7 grams - 40mm x 35mm x 14mm - $225.00
b) 60.7 grams - 41mm x 39mm x 22mm - $325.00
3) Complete individual: one 10mm x 9mm late atmospheric chip, remainder fully crusted.
a) 241.5 grams – 54mm x 54mm x 35mm - $1200.00 – This looks like it might be oriented. It has the right general shape and the crust around the edge of the "back side" looks a little rougher than the rest. This meteorite has a unique looking crust texture that never shows distinct flow lines or such, so identifying truly oriented pieces from this fall is nearly impossible. Nice stone, regardless.

DHOFAR (018), Oman: (Howardite). Found January 17, 2000. Tkw = 833 grams.
This one caused quite a stir when it first came out years ago. The sellers thought it was Lunar as it looks virtually identical to Dhoar (1180) (close enough that I went to extra trouble to have one of my pieces looked at again). They cut it super thin with a wire saw and went about selling it as Lunar. The science though said this find though was "just a howardite". Refunds were given and samples returned to the sellers, who eventually sold me these pieces. Amazing stuff and definitely different than any other howardite I have had.
1) Slices:
a) .49 grams - 18mm x 10mm x 1mm - $15.00
b) .75 grams - 39mm x 8mm x 1mm - $23.00
c) 1.4 grams - 33mm x 21mm x 1mm - $42.00
d) 2.9 grams - 49mm x 24mm x 1mm - $85.00

SPRINGWATER, Canada: (Pallasite). Found 1931. Tkw = about 200 kilograms.
These are pieces that Farmer and company turned up recently. So far, they have only been allowed to export a few kilos of these small "individuals" (some may be weathering/ freeze – thaw fragments). They may not be allowed to bring any more out either. But then, I guess that does not matter (to them anyway, the rest of us would be left out) if they can sell it all for the price they want to institutes in Canada anyway. I cut my pieces open to show the interior. Some of these do show some weathering effects (mostly the smallest piece I have – not surprising, and, oddly, the largest specimen) and are priced accordingly. Regardless, they all have plenty of fresh metal and olivine to look like the pallasite they are.
1) End pieces:
a) 4.1 grams - 17mm x 16mm x 6mm - $60.00
b) 10.0 grams - 23mm x 20mm x 7mm - $200.00 – nice!
c) 19.7 grams - 30mm x 28mm x 12mm - $350.00 – has lots of troilite.
d) 50.8 grams - 45mm x 35mm x 14mm - $900.00 – nice!
e) 89.8 grams - 42mm x 37mm x 26mm - $1300.00

MICRO-TEKTITES: Pilbara, Western Australia.
Some of the Precambrian rocks of the Hamersley Basin contain tsunami debris from several huge ancient impacts (from roughly 20km diameter or Eros-sized impactors on at least three separate occasions between 3.47 and 2.47 billion years ago). These deposits contain micro-tektites, impact spherules and have a high iridium content. These micro-tektites, once glass, are now found (with extremely great difficulty) as millimeter or so sized devitrified sand-like textured spheres in weathered limestones and cherts of the area. Not many of these will be available from now on, as the area has been made off limits to further rock collecting.
a) Sample with 1 or more - $50.00
b) Sample with 3 (or more same as above) - $75.00
c) Sample with at least 4 spherules - $100
d) Super special sample with over 20! - $500

Please include postage: a couple dollars on small U.S. orders and $10 on large items for first class (insurance is extra, if desired). On small overseas orders, $3 to $5 is generally plenty (I'll have to custom figure the rate for large items). Registration is also recommended on more valuable overseas shipments - an extra $12.00.
If you are sending a fax, simply begin transmitting when my line is answered. My fax will turn on automatically to receive (or I will start it if I answer) when you begin transmitting.